Newborns in the United States usually receive a Social Security number within about four weeks of birth, most often through a simple checkbox on the birth registration paperwork parents complete at the hospital. The Social Security Administration calls this Enumeration at Birth, and the agency’s own processing typically takes around two weeks once your state forwards the information, with another two weeks for the card to arrive in the mail. So the answer to when do newborns get a Social Security number is: shortly after birth, if you opt in at the hospital, and slightly longer if you apply on your own afterward.
The Hospital Checkbox Does the Work
When you fill out the paperwork for your baby’s birth certificate, one of the questions asks whether you want to apply for a Social Security number. Check “yes,” write in both parents’ Social Security numbers if you have them, and the state vital records office forwards your child’s information to the SSA automatically.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children There’s no separate form, nothing to mail, and no fee.
This isn’t limited to hospitals. Birthing centers and licensed midwives can start the same process during birth registration.2Social Security Administration. What is Enumeration at Birth and How Does it Work If you don’t know one or both parents’ Social Security numbers, you can still apply for your child’s.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children
How Long the Card Takes to Arrive
If you applied through the hospital, the SSA’s national average processing time is roughly two weeks, and you should allow another two weeks for delivery. That puts the typical total at about four weeks.2Social Security Administration. What is Enumeration at Birth and How Does it Work
State-level timing is the biggest variable. Some states forward birth records to the SSA within a week; others take up to six. Adding the two weeks for mailing, the realistic range is three to eight weeks depending on where you live.3Social Security Administration. How Long Does it Take to Get My Childs Social Security Number
If your card hasn’t arrived within the expected window, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to check the status. When it does arrive, store it somewhere secure at home. The number is what matters for forms and applications, not the physical card.
If You Missed the Hospital Step
You can apply directly with the SSA at any time, and there is no fee.4Social Security Administration. Request Social Security Number for the First Time Complete Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card, which you can download from ssa.gov or pick up at a local office.5Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card You can start online and then bring your original documents to a local office for verification; the office hands originals back to you the same day. Mailing documents is possible, though most parents choose the in-person route so they aren’t separated from a birth certificate. When you apply this way, the SSA generally processes the card in about two weeks from the date it has everything it needs.
Documents You’ll Need
The requirements are the same whether you apply at the hospital or directly at an SSA office. You must prove three things about your child, plus your own identity as the applying parent.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children
- U.S. citizenship and age: the birth certificate handles both.
- The child’s identity: an unexpired U.S. passport is preferred, but the SSA also accepts a certified hospital medical record, an adoption decree, or a religious record.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children
- The parent’s identity: a U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued ID card, or a U.S. passport.6Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
Every document must be an original or a certified copy from the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted, and you need at least two separate documents in total.
Why You Want the Number Soon
Taxes are the most immediate reason. The IRS won’t let you claim your child as a dependent unless the return includes the child’s Social Security number, which means the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit sit out of reach without it.7Internal Revenue Service. Dependents 9 The number must be issued on or before your return’s due date, including extensions, to qualify for those credits.
Beyond taxes, you’ll want the SSN to open a bank account or savings bond in your child’s name, enroll the child in health insurance, or apply for benefits like Medicaid or CHIP. The same number will follow your child through school enrollment and, eventually, employment.
Protecting the Number Once You Have It
Child identity theft is more common than most parents assume. A study through the Office of Justice Programs found that roughly 10 percent of the children examined had someone else using their Social Security number, often to open credit cards, finance cars, or secure employment. Children are attractive targets because nobody checks their credit for years.
The strongest defense is a credit freeze. Federal law lets parents and legal guardians place a free security freeze on a minor child’s credit file at each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.8Federal Trade Commission. New Protections Available for Minors Under 16 If no file exists for the child yet, the bureaus are required to create one so they can freeze it. The freeze stays in place until you or the child asks for it to be lifted. Contact each bureau separately; they don’t share freeze requests with one another.
If you suspect someone is already using your child’s SSN, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and file a report with the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-269-0271.9Social Security Administration. Fraud Prevention and Reporting The freeze is worth doing proactively even without any sign of a problem.